Web Design and Marketing FAQs

I understand that trying to price website design/development & Internet marketing services is a bit like trying to catch the wind and can be frustrating. When you do find pricing, it may be difficult to tell just what you are getting in exchange for the investment you are making. In light of these facts, I have assembled some details that may be helpful for you to know.

First, there are no governing bodies for pricing of web services. Nor are there any national oversight or certifying authorities to govern the companies who offer web services. In other words, the web services sector it is not like the automotive repair sector. The auto sector has the ASE to certify mechanics & the Chilton Auto Repair Manuel for pricing labor on repairs.

Next, there are web standards boards such as the W3C.org (Word Wide Web Consortium) that help develop & regulate the technology we use in this industry to build and display websites. There are also independent certifications, special training & degrees offered by colleges and individual vendors for web design professionals. While formal training & certifications are not always a guarantee you will receive quality results, it does serve as indicator that you are at least working with a qualified professional.

In the end, each web design project is as unique as the small business it will represent. Some will require much more work than others do & each business owner will want at least some part of their website customized. Many web services providers will work within a budget and tell you what you can, and cannot get within that budget. Also, the SBA has some great resources to help you if you are confused and need direction “Getting your small business website right.”

Please feel free to call me at (714) 662-2203 if you have any questions regarding my pricing. I would love to talk with you and hear about your small business goals.

Simple websites can be built in about a month and complex websites can take much longer (3 – 6 months). The speed at which the project moves will often depend on how fast the client is able to deliver content. I inform my clients that these projects will require an investment of time on their part, not just mine. In order to develop a website that is effective an unique to your business, it requires that I spend time with you. I am not the fastest developer in town, but I am very thorough & deliberate about my work. I always work to get you the BEST results possible. I promise to stay in contact with you throughout the entire project and we will work together to develop a timeline that is realistic and meets your requirements.

If you don’t already have a domain name, than we will work together to choose one that is effective for your business. If you already have one registered, then we can use the one you have for the website. There are occasions where I will suggest another domain name if I feel the one you are using does not effectively communicate your brand. If you need to get a domain name, I will help you purchase one. I do not sell domain names or make a commission off of your purchase of one. You will be responsible for paying for and renewing your own domain name(s).

There are occasions where clients will want their website to have more than one domain name. All websites have a primary domain name and other URLs (website addresses) will resolve to that primary address. At times, it may be beneficial to build separate landing pages (or home pages) for each domain name or even have completely different mini-websites for other domain names. All of this can be discussed in the planning & scope stage (see my web development process here).

In case you are not aware, websites have to live on a server somewhere and be connected to the Internet in order for people to have access to them. Website hosting providers (such as HostGator, BlueHost, GoDaddy, etc) provide this service for a fee. There are various levels of service available, the lease expensive of which is “Shared Hosting” where your website shares a server with many other websites. This type of service, while the most popular, can cause your website to run slow at times. The next level up is “Managed WordPress Hosting” and then the prices really begin to jump when you get to the next level of VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting. I do not sell hosting services, but I will make recommendations based on our discussions and help get it set up. Just like domain names, you will be responsible for the initial payment and keeping up recurring payments for hosting. You can read more about hosting options on my “Website Hosting Packages Explained” resource page.

Yes, I can help you choose, write and place content if needed. We will discuss my level of involvement in this process while developing a scope for the project. The one mistake I see small business owners make time and again is that they underestimate the importance of properly written website content and properly chosen images. Without effective content, the website will not have the impact it needs to have. This is why I offer these services as part of my web development packages.